Original Storyline to One More Day With You
by Catiegirl
Summary: This is the first direction I took OMDWY, and contains alternate chapters 6-9. I resolved the plot very early in this one, but when I decided to change it, I wanted to keep the original somewhere... This is somewhere! Moving new timeline chapters up now.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 6

Anne looked with a frozen face back at Gilbert in the dimness, sure she had misheard. "What did you say?"

He folded his arms against his knees, and looked down at them studiously. "I'm not going back to Redmond."

Anne rose to her knees, searching for some way to respond to his bombshell.

"You can't do that-" she said in a shrill voice.

"Actually, I can." he said calmly. "Would you like to hear why?" He watched her jaw and fists clench, and she sat back on her heels to look at him, frightened. Anne raised her eyebrows at him, and he took that as invitation enough.

"I've been doing rather well at Redmond lately, as you might imagine with several extra hours of study each night." He said, his voice mocking. "And that attracted some attention from the Chancellor of the university."

Anne looked at him, speechless.

"There was a scholarship available for one applicant to study at Oxford for a year. I- I won it."

Anne dropped to the floor. "But- but how? I never even heard that being announced-" she said confusedly.

"It's only for the science faculty. Information is only given out at the Dean's discretion."

"In England." She whispered, her eyes glassy.

He nodded.

"I only just heard back from them a week ago."

Anne got to her feet, as if sleepwalking. She went to the door and opened it to the sound of pouring rain, causing Gilbert to spring up. "Anne, you can't go out there now-" he said sharply, only to see her stop in the entryway.

"I'm not-" she mumbled. "I just needed _air-_ ". She stood there for a moment, taking long, deep breaths. He closed the door firmly, and slowly she turned to him. Her head came up, and for a moment he nearly stepped back, at the rage he saw on her face.

"You would never have told me if we hadn't been stuck here." She said, her voice shaking. "You would have let me worry- you would have vanished without ever letting me know." Her voice rose in an unbearable anguish. "Of all of the things I have seen that show me how little you value me, this is the worst, the most cruel, _hurtful_ -" she choked and turned from him, her body shaking with great sobs.

Gilbert stood helplessly, watching her fall completely apart and not knowing how to act. Feeling like the worst of fools, he put his arms around her. She fought his hold for a moment, but when he only held her tighter, she slumped against him, and cried in his arms as she never had before. Her knees gave way, and he sank to the floor with her holding her tightly, tears streaming down his own cheeks. For long minutes they sat there together, consumed in their grief.

When her crying had subsided a little, he spoke to her softly. "Anne, I'm going because I _have_ to. I can't keep pretending I'm alright with what happened between us- I can't keep watching you from a distance and hurting. I can't watch you start a life with him and not be consumed by it; I need to go. And it's only a year."

She broke away from him then. "Redmond was your dream." She pleaded.

"I know it was."

"Then _stay_." She said desperately.

"I can't."

Fresh tears fell now, and she turned back to him. "Then I'll leave."

" _No_." he said impatiently. "Anne, I will complete my degree at Oxford; for Pete's sake, this is not a bad opportunity. _Your_ life is in Kingsport now. You need to live it."

She began to laugh, her voice bitter. "Gilbert, I needed to see you. To know that you were alright. I needed, even at a distance, to know that you were happy, that you were working on your goal to become a doctor."

"I _am._ "

"But then I wanted to see you for my own sake." she added recklessly. "Because I missed you- I missed you more than anything in the whole world, and even if you were not speaking to me, at least I still had that."

Gilbert stood, dumbfounded. "Anne, I- I'm sorry. I didn't think you cared."

"And _bravo_ for me." She said flatly, bringing a reluctant smile to his mouth. She sat in front of the fire, cross legged as she used to do in the old days. She stretched her shoulders and arms out, and gave him the merest glance when he sat beside her.

"What a mess." he muttered rubbing his eyes wearily.

"What about Christine?" she said in an impersonal voice.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes. "What about her?"

"You've been with her since the beginning of the year." she answered, not looking at him. "She is- very beautiful."

"Oh yes, very beautiful." He said in a bored voice. "Look, I don't know why you are bringing her up."

"Remember I have had to watch you form an attachment too." She said in a brittle voice. "When you proposed I _lost_ you- and then I had to see another- _person,_ replace me. And it had to be someone who outclasses me on every level."

Gilbert threw his hands up angrily. "Why should it even matter? _You didn't want me!_ " he almost shouted. "And how long was it until Roy showed up? Don't you think that hurt me to see how easily _I_ was replaced?"

Anne turned on him then. "He _never_ replaced you. You- _you_ took yourself away- you wouldn't listen to me, you kept pushing- you never even gave me a choice-" she said, her voice breaking.

Gilbert slammed his fist onto the ground, and she shrank back, startled. Compressing his lips to try and control himself, his voice shook. "Don't you think I know that?" he said tightly. "You think I haven't regretted that every _moment_ since that day? Look, we went from two people who traversed every secret and hidden place in Avonlea, who shared _everything_ , to you being afraid to be alone with me. That started _long_ before I proposed. And you kept pushing me away-"

"Gilbert, I was scared-"

"What do you think _I_ was? I was _losing_ you and I panicked. You will _never_ know how much I regret speaking. I took a gamble, and I lost what little of you I had." He then laughed mirthlessly. "Of course Roy would still have come- and I still would have failed."

Anne sat up then, her eyes scorching. "Gilbert, when did I _ever_ go looking for someone else when we were together?" she stormed. "When I had your friendship I had _everything_ I wanted. I wasn't _looking_ for anyone else. And you act as if I never cared- I told you then, that there was no one I cared about more. But my friendship wasn't enough for you and so I lost _everything_."

Gilbert's head fell on outstretched arms, and there was a brief silence.

"So did I." He said, defeated.

Anne sat back down, exhausted. "Roy- just happened. I didn't plan it, and I was- lonely." She finished.

Gilbert picked up a shard of wood from beside him, and deliberately broke it into pieces. "Me too. I suppose that's where Christine came in." he said slowly.

To Anne's utter shock, he reached up to the nearby desk then, and took a chunk of wedding cake off the slate. He looked at her, quirking an eyebrow.

"Sorry, I'm hungry." he said. "Shouting really takes it out of a fellow." He then offered some to Anne, who broke off a small piece with a wry smile.

Gilbert's face became fixed. "Does he actually make you happy?" Anne looked up, her eyes wide.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Whenever I've seen you, at classes or at social events, all I notice is how calm and composed you look. All the time. You don't laugh, you don't show any expression at all. That's not the Anne Shirley I knew."

"Maybe that _is_ me now." She said, her voice thin.

He sighed dejectedly, pushing his fingers through his hair. "Does he ever make you laugh? Has he- ever seen you get angry? Or does he know what you're like when something crushes you?" he asked.

"He doesn't _need_ to see those things." She said, desperately. "Gilbert, you don't need to concern yourself-"

He suddenly looked at her for a long minute, his eyes suspicious.

"Anne, _tell_ me you told him about your childhood." he said quietly. Her silence was all the answer he needed. "Roy doesn't know anything, does he?"

She closed her eyes, beaten.

 _"Anne_ -" he said horrified, his voice cracking under the strain.

"You don't understand, Gilbert," she said wildly. "You come from a _family_. You are a Blythe, you have a name to carry, a history to confer on someone. I have _nothing_. I have my own accomplishments, and that is all. I carry eleven years of shame and misery, _that_ is what I have to give. It counted against me even here in Avonlea, if you remember. Don't you understand that it still does, anywhere I go?"

His eyes were blazing. "Is this _him_?" he said, angrier than she had ever seen him. "Is this how he makes you see yourself? To make you think that because your childhood was stolen from you, that you are worth _less_? You _never_ used to doubt yourself, you never used to think it mattered. Anne, if this is what he makes you think, he's not worth you." He said savagely.

"Gil, I don't tell _anyone_ about that side of my life!" she said brokenly, and then he turned to her, his voice low and intense.

"You told _me_."

"Because I trusted you." She whispered.

He looked into her distressed eyes for a long moment, and then turned away, his heart breaking. "Anne, you deserve _better_ than that. Don't you get it? Don't you see that you make people come alive just by being yourself? Look how you brought Matthew and Marilla to life. Everywhere you go you bring out the best in people- _you_ are the gift. If he doesn't understand that, then he doesn't really love you." He said bluntly. "And I don't think you love him either."

Anne let out a choked cry. "And maybe it's not for me to say." He said sarcastically. "But I've loved you for half my life, so I want to know that you will be happy. Maybe it's not my call, but at this point I don't care whether it is or not." He stood up again, and paced across the floor.

"If you really loved each other, I should have been able to feel it." He said, his voice passionate. "It should be tangible, palpable, and make everyone in the room uncomfortable- but it's _not_. Oh, I believed it at first, I really thought it was there and it nearly killed me. But I don't buy it now. You know who _did_ have that? You and me." Anne looked up at him, speechless.

" _Everyone_ talking about us, walking on tiptoes and giving us a wide berth because it made them so uncomfortable. You _know_ that it happened. And I think that's what scared you more than anything." He said to her, straight.

She shrank into herself, her hands on aching temples. "Gilbert, you shouldn't be saying this." she begged him.

"Well, this is the only chance I'll have." He said calmly. "Someone needs to tell you the truth. And if you remember correctly, that's one of the things I always did for you." He walked to the window, and looked out into the blackness. "You deserve better than this, Anne."

Anne let out a cry of frustration. "Gilbert, how do you know what love is even supposed to look like? How do you know that there is only one way that works, and that all the rest don't?"

He rounded on her fiercely. "Anne, if you could choose right now, between what we had, and what you have now with _him_ , what would you choose?" His eyes looked into hers unflinchingly, and he saw the answer on her face before she lifted her face and spoke shakily.

"You know what I would choose. But _you_ took that choice away from me."

"And doesn't that _tell_ you something?" he demanded.

"Gilbert, you were my friend-" she imploringly.

"No." he said, with a strange gleam in his eye. "I don't buy it. What we had wasn't friendship. If it was, we could let each other go; and clearly neither of us can. This is _love_."

Her voice was pleading, and his heart broke at her words. "It _can't_ be. Love can't hurt this much, Gilbert."

Gilbert faced her, almost as if preparing to leave- it was this that made her suddenly afraid. Whatever anguish had shown itself in this room, something told her that if he walked out into the night that a worse pain would hit her with the force of a hurricane- and she wouldn't be able to survive it.

"No." he said quietly. "No. You can tell yourself anything you like, you can convince yourself the sky is orange, if you want. But you are not going to lie to yourself anymore about what I feel."

She looked up at him, terror showing in her eyes. He folded his arms, and began to speak.

"I said I loved you when I asked you to marry me. And I meant it. And I didn't just mean I didn't want someone else taking my place, or that I was settling for my dear old _friend_." He said, slightly bitterly. "If you can't see what I feel for you, then Anne, you are _blind_. The whole world has been able to except you."

Anne was still, her fists clenched under her. He knelt down in front of her, and his eyes bore into hers.

"Anne, I have loved you since I met you. I loved you for standing up to me, for breaking that wretched slate over my head. I loved how stubbornly you fought to learn, how you made me push to keep up with you. How you _made_ the two of us make up the ground that we had both lost academically. How when you forgave me, you invited me right into your heart- you gave me a friendship that was the sweetest thing I have ever known. How you believed in me even when I didn't, you made me laugh and you made me keep hoping in the future." He stopped, his throat closing over.

Anne reached to touch him, pulling up just short of his arm. "You did that for me too, Gil." She whispered brokenly.

"Anne, I said your friendship wasn't enough for me." He said, tortured. "But it wasn't because I found it lacking. It's because we're not just friends, and we're not just kindred spirits. There's something between us that is deeper, you have to know that. You belonged in my heart, and I had to tell you how much I loved you." Anne saw with a shock the tears in his eyes, and started to feel something in her begin to crumble.

"I wanted to give you everything I am. He might be able to give you more, but you won't be _his_ the same way you are mine." Anne felt a sob trying to break in her throat, the raw passion in his tone cutting through her like a knife. "I wanted to love you so completely that you would never hurt from your past again. That you and I would belong to each other for all time; that we would walk together every day of our lives."

Gilbert's voice began to tremble now, as he looked up into the grey-green eyes he loved. "I wanted to make love to you. I wanted to see your body grow with our child. I wanted to wake beside you each morning; for you to be the one I came home to every night. I wanted our hearts and lives to be so entwined that nothing and no one could ever come between us again." He took a shaking breath. "You are _everything_ to me, Anne. No matter what happens, you cannot _ever_ say that you mean less than that to me."

Anne was trembling from head to foot by now. She watched him get to his feet slowly, and turn from her, putting his hands up to cover his face. Every step he took away from her physically hurt, and she instinctively rose to close the gap between them. Not sure what she would say or do, only knowing that she could not endure any more distance from him.

He eventually turned to face her; and she looked at his pale, haggard face in the firelight. She stood there in a maelstrom of emotion: fear, confusion and compassion whirling around her. Her breath coming fast, she looked into his eyes and saw his innermost heart laid bare before her; for the first time she truly _saw_ Gilbert Blythe. How _dear_ he was to her- how beloved, but how hurt and vulnerable he was. Something yearning took over her- a need to touch him, to comfort. Hardly knowing what she was doing, with tears running down her face, she placed tentative hands on Gilbert's face and pressed her lips to his softly.

The two of them stood frozen in that moment. His breath came fast now, and he waited for her to pull away- when she didn't, when he could still feel her breath on his skin and her soft hands on his face, he slowly put his hands on her waist, and drew her to him wonderingly. He pushed the hair back from her forehead gently, and looked into her eyes. He read the confusion there, the anguish and something warmer than either of those things. Gilbert bent his head, somehow knowing that if this was all about to be snatched away from him, that this moment belonged only to the two of them. As his mouth touched hers again, a soft moan left her throat and he gathered her to himself hungrily. His lips moved to her hair and her cheeks and her face, and when he claimed her mouth again Anne's arms came around his neck, pulling him closer to her still. Her body pressed against his, her hand on the back of his head. Their kisses were breathless and fierce, and Gilbert's heart was attempting to beat out of his chest at her closeness. Finally having to accept that this was real, he made himself pull away from her slightly, still holding her close.

"Anne- what's happening?" he breathed.

Shivering, she looked at him. "I'm not sure."

"Do you want it to stop?" he asked, and she shook her head against him vehemently. He chuckled, but his uncertainty made him release her gently. "You know how much I want this, Anne." he said, his voice husky with emotion. "But I- I won't survive you walking away a second time." He sat down in front of the small stove, breathing heavily, and his heads in his hands.

Anne dropped to her knees before him, and reached for his cheek with one hand. He closed his eyes at her touch and she broke into a small sob. "Neither will I." She said her voice quivering. When he opened his eyes she was looking into his in bewilderment. "You- love me."

He tried to catch his breath again. "This is only just occurring to you now?" he said, one eyebrow nearly shooting to his hairline.

"But- but- you really _love_ me." Anne said, completely stunned.

She read the exhaustion in his face, but there was a light in his hazel eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.

"I really love you." He answered, his voice soft.

Anne looked at him wonderingly, and in the silence Gilbert carefully took both of her hands in his. He made himself ask the only question that mattered.

"Do you love me?" he asked slowly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Without further adieu...**

* * *

 _Chapter 7_

"Do you love me?" he asked quietly.

At first she didn't move- at first she could only look back into his eyes, her heart pounding. The shift had knocked her senseless, and she put her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. She could still feel his lips on hers, and her breath caught at the way her body had pressed against his. How was it possible to feel so _right_ there?

The kiss- the kiss she had given him had broken the careful façade she had always kept in place, and now she saw with shock what lay behind it, saw what had been held back for so long. Gilbert- he was _everything_ to her. Of course they couldn't let go. Of course the distance had destroyed them, they belonged together- when their lips touched for the first time she had felt it, she had _known_. Her eyes were tender as she met his.

"Yes." Anne said softly.

Gilbert froze, looking back at her with a slight frown. " _Yes_?" he said at last. Anne pulled her hands out of his shyly, and nodded.

"Yes."

The rain outside continued to fall steadily; inside the silence hung between them, the crackling fire the only sound in the room.

"Hmm." He said.

"What do you mean, _hmm_?" Anne said, bewildered.

"I'm just- just processing." He said slowly.

"Oh."

After a few moments he spoke again, with a twinkle in his eye that she hadn't seen in years. "So- you- love me." He stated.

Surprised, Anne let out a breath, a gentle smile on her face. "I do."

"Which means we- we both- love- each other." Gilbert said less calmly. " _Together_."

Anne brought herself close to him, and held his face- his _so_ dearly missed face- in her hands, and leaned in to kiss him again.

"Gilbert, I've been so terribly foolish." She whispered, a tear falling down her cheek. "I'm sorry- I'm so very sorry I didn't understand before. I'm sorry that I hurt you." She paused, and then asked nervously "After all this time, can you really still want me?"

He pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek on her red hair. "Always, and no one else." He whispered. "It's only you for me, Anne."

He looked at her tenderly, touching her face and reacquainting himself again with every contour. Gentle fingers ran over her cheekbones, her temples and her jaw. His touch had her quivering inside, shaking with the newfound knowledge she had fought to suppress for so long. Gilbert hesitated in his movements for a second, looking shyly into her eyes, and then he slid gentle fingers into her long hair, and brought his mouth to hers again. Slowly, passionately he kissed her in the darkness, finally able to show her how deeply she lived in the core of his heart.

After what seemed like an eternity to the pair, Anne pulled away with a gasp. He watched her nervously to see how she would react. Not sure if she would think him too bold, or push him away, he nearly shook with relief at her next words.

"I never knew kissing was like _that_." she whispered, startled and pink cheeked. "We should have done that _years_ ago." She said to him, wide-eyed. Gilbert gave a deep chuckle, and tightened his arms around her.

"Well, I wanted to." He teased. "I nearly did sometimes, only I was afraid you might slap me."

Anne laughed. "I might have too." She said with a sigh, and then looked at him wistfully. "I wasn't ready, Gil." She said softly.

All laughter went from his face, and he closed his eyes in regret. "I know that now. I'm sorry, Anne." She nestled her head on his chest. "Look, tell me this is real, tell me I didn't get knocked senseless by a branch or something-".

"Unfortunately, this last year was only too real." Anne said, with a shudder. "You have to know that I felt it too, Gil. I hurt every moment I was away from you."

"Anne, I'm sorry." he whispered again.

"No, it should have told me something. I missed our friendship, but it was more than that. I missed you every moment of every day. Even Phil tried to tell me."

Gilbert smiled. "Tell you what?"

"That I had fooled myself into thinking what you and I had wasn't love. And she was right. I wasted a year that could have belonged to us." She said, bringing Gilbert's head up. She suddenly met his eyes, consternation on her face.

"Gilbert- you're leaving today, and in September you have Oxford!" she said, in dismay.

He shook his head with a dry laugh. "If you think I'm leaving you right now, you are _crazy,_ Anne. Besides, I don't actually need to be back in Kingsport till Friday."

"But- but the scholarship-" she feebly protested.

"I never actually accepted it." He said sheepishly. "I only made up my mind to go after- after the wedding. I was originally going to decline it when I won the Rainsleigh scholarship as well. I was supposed to tell them which one I would take when I got back to Kingsport."

"To avoid me." Anne said, her voice pained.

"No, to avoid a _you_ that wasn't mine." He whispered, and looked down at her. "Anne, are you- _are_ you mine?"

Anne stroked his cheek, feeling the scratch of the stubble on his cheek on her palm. "I always _was_. I should have known that before." She sighed. "Gilbert, did you want to go to Oxford? You could still go."

He rested his forehead against hers, looking deeply into her eyes. "I'm not leaving you. We'll go back to Redmond together, I promise."

"As it always should have been." She whispered back, with a little smile. She sat against him, thinking, and after a minute turned. "Gil, what about Christine?"

He chuckled. "She's only a friend. More accurately, the sister of a friend." He looked up at her with a smirk. "The _engaged_ sister of a friend."

A flinty look came into Anne's eyes, and Gilbert swore he could see the green coming back into them.

"She just stopped me from looking like the one who lost the girl, Anne." He said, with a shrug.

She scowled. "When you took her to the junior dance a month ago I wanted to scratch her eyes out." she muttered, causing Gilbert to burst into uproarious laughter.

"Anne _Shirley_!"

"Oh, I know, I know." she said, glowering. "And I didn't want you to be writing to other girls, and I was jealous when you danced with Stella and whenever Phil flirted with you. _And_ when you were made the president of the class and the football team, and _all_ the girls would flock around you…." She trailed off.

"You were _jealous_." He said, unbelievingly.

"I was jealous. I know; it made utterly no sense."

He touched her nose with his. "Unless you loved me and didn't know." He said with a slight grin. "Look, I never wanted any of that. I danced with Stella or Priscilla because they would talk to me about you, and I missed that. You know that Phil will flirt with anyone, she certainly doesn't want me. And lastly, Christine's not a bad person; in fact, you'd probably like her if you got to know her. But it's you I've been dreaming about since I was thirteen. And- _she knows that_."

"You _told_ her?"

"Let's just say she figured it out." He said, delicately.

Anne was completely taken aback. "So- there wasn't anyone else." She whispered. "I thought you were in love with her."

"No. But there _was_ a Roy." He sighed and held her close, weighing up his next words. "What will you do about him?"

"The only thing I can do, Gil; which is to write to him today. I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure this out." She said regretfully.

Gilbert took her hand in his again, and ran his palm over it gently. "Did you love him?" he asked, with difficulty. She put her free hand on his cheek, making him look at her.

"No." she whispered, brokenly. "I tried to- but it was _you_ I already loved. _You_ whom I missed. And when I saw you with Christine it just about broke my heart."

Gilbert frowned, his eyes stinging. "It broke my heart to see you with him."

Anne threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I'm so sorry. It was a mistake, Gil. I think I knew that all along."

"Then why- _why_?"

Anne looked at him, helpless to find a way to explain. "He was everything I told once Diana I wanted- and I told myself I couldn't betray my ideal. And I was wrong, and I was stubborn, and deservedly unhappy."

Gilbert swallowed. "Did you really miss me?"

Anne's laugh sounded like a sob. "Every day. Every time I sat in the library, or looked across the courtyard at Redmond all I could see was you. I would find something funny and go to catch your eye, and you wouldn't look at me. I went to write to you so many times, but I told myself that if you missed me at all you would speak to me. And you were looking so thin and pale, and I thought you were sick-" she put her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

"Heartsick, maybe." He muttered, with a sheepish grin.

They sat in the dimness for a long time, Gilbert idly stroking her hair.

"Gil, what time do you think it is?" Anne asked after a while.

"Wouldn't know. Are you bored of my company already?"

"No. However I do wonder if we'll have enough wood for the whole night." She said, with a shiver. "And this floor isn't the most comfortable place I could think of."

"It's a paradise with you in my arms." He whispered lovingly, and Anne snuggled into him.

"Are you concerned about us having to explain this to everyone?" she asked, with a little chuckle.

"The whole world already knows I love you. I'm sure they all saw that at the wedding two days ago. And if they now see that love being returned, then I'm the happiest fellow in the world." He said simply.

"It is returned, Gil. But what of your parents?" When Gilbert only looked at her, Anne sighed. "They must know everything. Your mother doesn't speak to me anymore, not after-"

"Afterward she just got protective, Anne. She knows it's only been you." He said softly. "If this is happening, she will be thrilled."

"She might have liked Christine better." Anne mumbled, making Gilbert laugh.

"Well, _I_ wouldn't." he said with a snort. "Do you know what it's like to spend time with someone who has _no_ sense of humour?"

Anne grinned at him wryly and sighed. "Gilbert, meet Royal Gardener."

"Really?" he asked.

" _None_. I used to have to explain everything to him twice, and he _still_ wouldn't understand. Phil was incomprehensible to him, as you might imagine. He was very sweet, but had no funny bone- and no passion, for all the poetry." She added unexpectedly.

Gilbert tightened his arm around her. "Speaking of… I know I've said a lot of things since we got here- I wish I could excuse myself by saying I was upset, but I was wrong to be so harsh, especially when I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry I spoke to you like that, Anne."

"I said awful things to you too." She said with a sigh. "And I have hurt you so much over the years. Can you ever forgive me, Gil?"

He gave her a quick squeeze. "Anne, we hurt each other because we were hurting inside so much. We both know that." He put a hand up to rub over his tired face, and groaned. "Anne, I especially regret- I shouldn't have said- some things." He said, in some discomfort.

"You just told me how you felt." she turned to him, her face sober. "I think I needed to know."

Gilbert's face flushed. "All the same, there are a few things I shouldn't have said. It wasn't proper-"

Anne stopped him with a hand on his lips. "No, Gil, I _needed_ to hear exactly that." she said, shocking him completely. She then spoke to him in a whisper. "Did you really mean it?"

He looked back at her, his heart beating faster. "Every word."

She nestled into the crook of his neck. "You think about us like that?" she asked, her heart thumping almost painfully.

Gilbert's breathing became uneven. "Anne, I shouldn't have-"

At that, Anne held him to her, pressing kiss after kiss on face tenderly.

"Yes, you should. I don't deserve this." She said, her eyes tearing up again. "I deserved to have you walk out into the storm, to have you leave and never see you again. How is it possible you are still here with me?"

"I'm waiting to wake up." He said softly. "I've dreamed of you- of _this_ for so long, and it's never happened. But then I'm worried that you'll wake up too, and things will go back to how they were- you'll be with him, and a million miles from me."

Anne chuckled dryly and sighed. "I think you underestimate what a single day can do to a person. Sometimes it can change their world completely." She looked at him in the flickering light tenderly. "I'm afraid too." She admitted softly. "You might discover I'm not worth it, or that you prefer someone steadier, someone more together than me."

He laughed at that. "I've been in love with the ' _you'_ -you since we were children. I hardly see that changing now." He smiled, and tucked a wayward curl of red hair behind her ear. His mind turned to their many days together, the many times he had wanted to be able to touch her as he was doing right now. He let out a deep breath. "Anne, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Gil. Anything."

"Will you really let me in your heart now?" he said slowly. "Even as close as we were, and we _were_ very close, you still kept me at a distance."

She looked up at him, thoughtful. "I know I did. I was frightened. I thought you would change, that I would lose my best friend."

He rubbed her arms gently. "You never wondered if there was something closer, something better that we could become? " he asked, puzzled.

She gave a short laugh. "Gil, you already knew more about me than anyone, even Diana or Marilla. You saw the worst of my temper; and you knew how unforgiving and vindictive I could be. You know more of my past than _anyone_ ever has, how very broken I was. How could you possibly love me like that?" she said with a sigh. "You might just have been settling for me."

"Then you never really looked." He said softly. "I only ever wanted you. And I think you can see now that I meant _only_ you. With everything in me."

As she looked into his eyes, she nodded. She rose from her seat on the ground, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All I want is you, Gilbert Blythe." She whispered. "Please be my dearest, my very best friend again?"

He kissed her lingeringly, and looked into her eyes. "Be mine for always?" he asked, and she nodded smiling.

He let out a deep sigh, holding her to him, for long minutes. Eventually he pulled away, a slight teasing smile coming to his face.

"Anne we could probably talk about this all night, but the way I see it we now have some time on our side. I'm going to guess it's about three in the morning, and I think the worst of the storm is nearly over." He cupped her face in his hand, as a sigh left her mouth. "We've also been yelling at each other-"

"And crying-"

"For several hours now. I'm completely shattered." He said wryly, an incorrigible grin on his face. "Should we get some rest? We have the stove, and this- err- serviceable mat and blanket." Anne chuckled.

"I suppose it's as good as we'll get right now, Gil." She said, and looked at him, suddenly shy. As if he knew where her thoughts had gone, he took her hand in his, and stretched himself out on his back.

"Do you remember the summer night when we stayed up outside to finish the paper on astronomy?" he said.

Anne laughed. "Mrs Lynde had a fit when she heard about it. She thought Ptolemy was someone we had just made up."

Gilbert chuckled. "I remember we had a rug, and Marilla brought us out some tea and a blanket, even though she thought we were insane-"

"And we could hear Martin snoring from his room downstairs. And I fell asleep outside just before we were finished for the night." She finished softly.

Gilbert looked at her, his face gentle. "Anne, I know this isn't exactly a normal situation we've found ourselves in, and we've a lot to talk about in the days to come. In any other circumstance this would be highly improper, but we're here together now. I'm still your best friend, you're still safe with me."

She swallowed, her eyes stinging. She lay down on the mat beside him, and placed her head on his chest.

"I missed you." She said brokenly. He pulled the worn blanket over the pair of them and held her to him with a deep sigh. Despite the cold ground and rolling thunder, the pair of them eventually drifted off to sleep to the sound of the heaviest downpour Avonlea had seen in a century.

When the dawn came, and light crept under the old schoolhouse door, Anne awoke slowly, disoriented on the floor. The fire had burnt out, and she was cold and stiff. When she placed her hand on what had been her pillow, she turned her head to see Gilbert's arm move, and his eyes open to stare into hers. The two of them stayed motionless, each waiting to see what would happen next. Anne smiled at him and Gilbert's heart began to beat madly, as she bent down to kiss him again. As he wrapped her in his arms, he knew that she had finally come home to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 8

Early the next morning before anyone else at Green Gables had awoken, Marilla Cuthbert sat down at the kitchen table for a cup of tea. She had awoken at first light, and immediately gone outside to check the grounds in the aftermath of the storm. Satisfied that none of the buildings were materially damaged, and that the livestock were warm and dry, she could go inside and relax for a few minutes.

In the middle of her solitude Marilla heard the gate and came to stand at the front door, whereupon she stopped, completely nonplussed. Marilla watched Anne and Gilbert come through the gate together, both of them looking exhausted and extremely dishevelled. Her mouth dropped open, as she watched the boy whisper in her ear and then briefly press his lips to hers. He then turned and walked back down the lane, and Anne came toward the house alone. Marilla stood frozen, one hand clutching the door frame, thunderstruck.

" _Anne_ -" she said, in a completely mystified voice.

Anne turned to her, fatigue showing on every part of her face. "Marilla, we got caught out in the storm yesterday. Gilbert is coming by later today, and I promise we will explain everything to you together. However, I must insist that first I get some sleep before I become ill." She managed to say succinctly, with a wry look in her eye.

Marilla had not yet found her voice, but she gave the girl a brief hug, and watched in amazement as Anne walked upstairs without a backwards glance. She put a trembling hand on the table, and found herself thanking her stars that Rachel and the twins were still in bed. Until Anne awoke, she could only attempt a guess on what had taken place last night. Midsummer madness, indeed.

* * *

Many hours later, and for the second time in two days, Anne awoke to an empty house. She lay in bed for a moment, lazily watching the curtains blowing in the breeze, guessing that it was early afternoon. She unwound the elastic from her long braid, and ran her fingers through the red lengths dreamily, remembering someone _else_ who had done so recently. Her cheeks heated, and she found herself closing her eyes in bliss with a quickened breath. How had she never noticed that just _thinking_ about Gilbert did this to her? And to think she had actually awoken in his arms, just hours earlier! She shivered with delight, and sat on the edge of her bed for a minute to gather her scattered thoughts.

She walked over to look out her window. Giant puddles lay over the lane way, and Anne saw that more than one young tree had been knocked down in the storm. The lawns were covered in debris from the wind, and great branches had been stripped from established trees. Droplets of water shone in the bright sunlight from every surface- and Anne followed them with brighter eyes. Thinking of the storm only brought her back to thoughts of Gilbert, and she couldn't stop the blushing smile that followed.

Anne found Marilla's note telling her where the family had gone, and with sigh of satisfaction she brought pen and paper downstairs to work, pausing briefly to run outside to pick some somewhat bruised and battered flowers for the parlour.

* * *

The shadows were lengthening in the day when Gilbert came walking up the lane. He looked towards Green Gables in the distance, smiling slightly. Was it really possible for things to change so much; so quickly? Was it only in the midnight hours that very day that he had kissed Anne for the first time? A slight panic seized him, and for a moment he wondered if he had been knocked silly by the storm- maybe it was a concussion. The disorientation he had when he woke up this afternoon certainly _felt_ strange enough.

Almost his heart failed him, almost he convinced himself he was delusional- however as he approached the gate, he saw Anne standing there, waiting for him. She flew into his arms and he held her tightly.

"I missed you." She pronounced squeezing him, and he chuckled at her.

"You were supposed to be _sleeping_ , Anne. Or did our love keep you awake?" He teased.

"I missed you even in my dreams." she said candidly, and he gave a great sigh.

"Have you told anyone?" he asked softly.

Anne smiled. "Not exactly- although after what Marilla saw this morning she must suspect something. When I woke up I found that everyone had gone to the town crisis meeting at the hall. They won't be back for a few hours, I think."

"So I have you all to myself?" Gilbert said with a smile. "Excellent."

"You had me all to yourself yesterday too, remember." Anne said innocently, and grinning pulled him towards the house. "Come and have something to eat. And I'll get you to read a letter."

Half an hour later, Anne had poured some tea, and the two of them sat on the sofa in the parlour contentedly. She leaned back on the chair and closed her eyes. When she opened them his face was close to hers, and he dropped a kiss on her nose. He looked at her lovingly, and she felt her heart skip a beat, even after the wonderful kisses they had shared the previous night. How to explain the safety and love she felt? It seemed to flood the small room, and she sighed.

"Is something wrong?"

Anne chuckled. "No. That was a _right_ kind of sigh, Gil. I just- can't believe we're here."

He stroked the wisps of hair from her face, and smiled tenderly. "Me too. But if it's a dream I'll chose to live in this one forever."

She put her arms around his waist, and looked up at him, chuckling. "How is it possible you are so romantic?" she asked. "And _this_ from the boy who pulled my hair at first meeting!"

"The boy grew up, remember. And _you_ taught me to be that." he said with a grin. "I sailed moonlit ponds with you, read poetry and wandered the island with you. I learned romance from the best." She laughed, and sighed again.

"So about this letter." He said, holding her close.

"Yes. It's for Roy." She pulled the paper out of her pocket and gave it to him, with a sorrowful glance he didn't miss.

"Anne, this is personal." Gilbert said softly. "I don't have to read it."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I think you should. You and I have had so much misunderstanding between us; I think openness will be best. And I need to know what you think." She said.

He kissed the top of her head, and gave his attention to her unmistakable copperplate writing.

 _Roy,_

 _This will come as a shock to you, and I am terribly sorry for the pain it may cause. There is no easy way to say this. You and I can no longer be together._

 _I am deeply sorry that I did not understand myself better before now. I realise that there is nothing I can say to make this any less painful, however I feel you are owed an explanation. To that end, I need to tell you a story._

 _There was once a boy and a girl who lived in the same town. On the first day they met, the boy spoke thoughtlessly, and hurt the girl. The girl promised herself she would never forgive him despite the regret he showed at his actions. He equalled her in intelligence and pushed her to succeed; they were rivals for school honours and schoolmates for many years- despite this her heart remained unforgiving._

 _When their schooling was complete, they boy gave up the school he needed for the girl so she could stay with her adopted mother when grief came. He gave her the greatest thing he had without thought, sacrificing a part of his future for her. At this the girl realised her mistake, and finally accepted the friendship he had offered her long ago. The two of them studied, worked and played together. He was her confidante, and she his- he saw the brokenness and flaws in the girl, and loved her for them._

 _Eventually the boy proposed to the girl. He who had known his heart for many a year expected that she too knew hers- however, the girl had built daydreams of romance, and couldn't see beyond years of friendship. She refused him. His heart was shattered, having been convinced of her love. Hers was likewise destroyed when the boy could not continue the friendship she craved. They walked separate pathways for a year. Often in the same place, but hearts on either side of a canyon. Other people came into their lives, and for a time it looked as if both hearts were healing._

 _That ended yesterday. The walls came crashing down on the boy and girl, leaving the pain that had been buried exposed and raw. When this happened the girl realised that her heart was being ripped apart by their separation, not because of the friendship that she missed, but because her heart had always belonged to him. He had seen the very worst in her, sharing in her pain and brokenness even when it wounded him, and he loved her_ anyway.

 _The girl is of course myself._

 _The boy is Gilbert Blythe._

 _The regret I feel at our misunderstanding, at the pain that I have put both ourselves and others through by not understanding my own heart is immense. Please understand that it has not been my intention to hurt you. I value your friendship and have greatly enjoyed your company this year. I can offer no justification for myself, the only thing I have been able to do is to understand my own heart, and who it has always belonged to._

 _Anne._

Gilbert's hand was shaking slightly as he finished the page. He let the page fall as he held her close again, kissing her soft lips. She closed her eyes, enjoying his gentle touch, and when he moved away she gave him a small smile.

"Do you think it's alright?" she asked, and Gilbert hesitated. "You can be honest."

"I think it's going to be a pretty tough read for Roy." He said at last. "However it's best for him to get the whole story now, rather than a version of it being gossiped through Redmond- which we know will happen anyway." He sighed, and smiled. "You told him our story."

She looked up at him dreamily. " _Our_ story. I like that."

"Definitely-" was as far as he got before she pulled him close again, and the two of them were blissfully occupied for some time.

Eventually, Gilbert pulled away from her, stroking her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "You know; I think kissing you could become my new favourite pastime." He said with a chuckle.

Anne's eyebrow rose teasingly. "Oh? And what was your _old_ favourite?"

"You mean apart from _dreaming_ of doing that…" he said innocently. He suddenly turned serious, and seemed to be struggling to say something. Anne nudged him in the side. He looked down at her, understanding the unspoken question.

"I'm trying to figure out if it's my business about- well, just wanting to know if you and Roy ever-" he then stopped awkwardly. To his surprise Anne gave him a cheeky look.

 _"_ Gil, he wrote me a poem which _talked_ about kissing. That's it."

Gilbert tried to repress a big grin. "So he and you never-"

"No. I think he felt the poem was enough." She said, her eyes twinkling.

He laughed, sheer relief foremost in his mind. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't do that, that was mean." His eyes were looking towards the fireplace when he added soberly- "It wouldn't have been enough for me."

The room was silent for a time. Anne looked across at him, studying his face in the quiet. Thinking of how she had sat with him so often, talking of the deepest recesses of her heart, not understanding _why_ she could go to those depths with him.

"That's why this is a little scary, I suppose." She said slowly. His eyes shot to her, and she squeezed his hand lightly. "I mean you and I are a little- less restrained." She said, blushing again. Gilbert seemed unsure of her meaning, and she smiled at him in chagrin. "We've been together for not even a day, and already- well, we, um- we-" her cheeks flamed, and he sighed, understanding.

"I know. It's us, I suppose. We were _worst_ enemies- and then _best_ friends- and then- well, _now_. We don't seem to have an in-between. But then that's chemistry for you." he added.

Anne sighed. " _Exactly_. And it's always been there, and it was- overwhelming. I don't mean I want us to be any different, I want us to be _us_ \- but now we're even more _us_ now." She finished, confusedly.

Gilbert chuckled. "Alright, let's just say last night was a surprise to all concerned." He said in a dry voice, and then was silent for a time. "And it's probably fair to say that neither of us were at our best- although I have no complaints about that." Anne hid her face, a little embarrassed. He continued, stroking her hair idly. "It's not _so_ sudden when you think about it; we've known each other for ten years now. And I've loved you for ten years. In fact, you _could_ say this is the slowest courtship of all time." He muttered, making Anne laugh. He nudged her, smiling, and then continued.

"I've been doing some thinking. You may notice that I _didn't_ propose to you last night." he said confidentially.

Anne's lashes were down on her cheeks. "Well- I supposed the subject come up eventually."

Gilbert smiled sadly. "I came to realise how impulsive I was a year ago. I wanted you- I wanted to marry you- but I had no plan, no job or way to support you- and no idea how long it could be until we got married. Plus, I had no idea where you were at." He sighed, some of the pain in his voice. "It was pretty stupid of me."

At this Anne's eyes flashed. "Don't you _dare_ say that, Gilbert Blythe! _I_ was the one who didn't see. If I had recognised what I felt we could have worked out a plan together, or _something_." She said crossly.

"Wait a moment, are you now defending a proposal you _refused_?" he teased. "You don't need to. Look, all I'm saying is that I want to do things differently this time. I want to take things slower. I want us to go to dances together, to study and go for walks and talk about our dreams- I want this year to be with you. And when it's the right time, _then_ I'll propose."

Anne reached up to kiss him, and pulled his arm around her again. "That sounds wonderful." She looked up at him, stroking gentle fingers over his face. "And I want to see you gain some weight and start sleeping again. You were scaring me, Gil."

He laughed. "You can talk to my mother about that." At that Anne stiffened, and he pulled his arm tighter. "Anne; it's fine. She's asked you over for dinner tomorrow night." He said gently.

Uncertain grey eyes looked at him. "You told your parents?"

He grinned. "Apart from being completely horrified that we slept in the schoolhouse last night, they were thrilled. I had to swear black and blue I was the perfect gentleman. Well- almost, anyway."

Anne looked at him, her face pink. "Did you tell them _everything?_ "

"Well- I may have given them an abbreviated version. Not sure my father bought it though." He said with a charming grin, sending her embarrassed face into his shirt. After a moment Anne sighed.

"Gilbert, are you _sure_?"

"Really. Mother nearly passed out with relief when I told her I wasn't going to Oxford, and she asked if that meant I would be staying here a bit longer this summer. She was disappointed when I told her we were both heading away at the end of the week."

"You should have been heading back now." She stated.

"I don't work till next week though; I was just avoiding being here." He said with a sigh. "It was cowardly."

Anne scowled at him. "It's _not_ cowardly to do that. It was perfectly sensible in view of everything."

"Well, Mama is relieved I've got some extra time here, and I'm not leaving for England at all." He said with a grin. " _You_ , my girl, are responsible for that. That's got to even up the score with her a little."

Anne sighed. Never had a summer looked as bright to her as this one, and she was most reluctant to leave Gilbert to head to Valley Road. Gilbert gave her a squeeze. "It's alright. We survived this year somehow, didn't we? And we _know_ we're together now."

"That's why I don't want to go." She said, her lips trembling slightly.

"We can write love letters." He whispered, his eyebrows wiggling, making her laugh. "I have a feeling we're going to be quite good at it."

* * *

Marilla arrived home with the rest of the family an hour later, and she sat closeted with Anne and Gilbert as they explained the circumstances of the previous night. She said very little through the narrative, watching the young couple closely. She compared the Anne that had arrived home a fortnight ago with the girl before her, an Anne who had seemingly come alive again. The warmth on her face as she looked at Gilbert, the confident way he placed his arm around her laughing. When they finished their tale, she sat back, an amused smile on her face.

"I have to say, it could only happen to you pair." She stated with a sigh. "Although I'm not sorry it did. Are you very sure that this is what you both want?" she looked at the two of them piercingly. "I'm not sure we can go through this again."

Gilbert held Anne's hand tight in his, and gave Marilla the bright twisted smile he had inherited from his father.

"It's _all_ I've ever wanted." He said firmly.

Anne had no words to add to that, she could only nestle on his shoulder, with a tender look in her eyes that Marilla had never seen before. She rose from her seat, her throat oddly constricted.

"That's all I need to hear then." She stood to leave the room swiftly, not wanting them to see the tear that threatened to fall down her weathered cheek. "I'll call you both when supper is ready."

Gilbert waited for the door to close before turning to her. "I don't think you were as reassuring as you could have been just then, Miss Shirley." He teased, and then let out a surprised sound as she swiftly pulled herself into his arms, drawing him into an ardent kiss. His thoughts blissfully going out the window, he was surprised again when she pulled away slightly and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"I think reassurances like that are best kept private, don't you?" she murmured, making him laugh and move in to reclaim her lips again.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 9

When Gilbert came to pick Anne up the following afternoon, he found Mrs Lynde waiting for him on the front veranda. He pulled up short at the gate, wondering what kind of welcome she had in mind. Gilbert calculated the odds that she would be attempting another interrogation out of Marilla's sight. He hoped uneasily that Anne was not too far away.

Her tactics the previous night had been varied. Careful assumptions, politely phrased comments, and outright challenges to the version of the story the young couple had given her. She _was_ gratified to learn that all of her predictions of the union of Gilbert Blythe and Anne Shirley had come to pass; however she was at some pains to convince herself that nothing untoward had happened. _She_ knew the ways between men and women, and it was well within her rights to assure herself that all had taken place _appropriately_ as it should under the righteous eye of the matrons of Avonlea.

"Mrs Lynde, always a pleasure." Gilbert said, nodding to her courteously as he gained the stairs.

"Anne will be down in a moment." she said cordially. "You'd best have a seat Gilbert; I've never known her to fuss so much over her appearance before. Of course that's what comes of spending time with all of those Kingsport socialites." she said, with a sniff. " _You_ could do with some socialising though, Gilbert." She shook her knitting needle at him knowingly. "All this studying is turning you into an old man before your time. You remind me of your pa's cousin Robert. He started well like you did, but by the time he qualified as a teacher he was consumptive, and never worked again. Quite a disappointment to his family. I told Anne when I saw you at the wedding how much ground you had lost since you left Avonlea three years ago. You have your future to be thinking of."

Gilbert gave her a rather fixed smile, thinking Anne must have _really_ appreciated those sentiments.

"I assure you Mrs Lynde; my health is excellent, nothing ails me except a lack of sleep."

The moment he said that Gilbert shut his eyes, knowing he had played right into her hands that time. She pounced.

"I should have thought you would be more concerned with _sleeping_ than running around the countryside inappropriately in the middle of the night." She said in a judgemental tone. "What the pair of you were doing out so late at night is completely beyond me."

Gilbert looked longingly towards the front door, but saw no help arising from that quarter. He squared his shoulders valiantly.

"Mrs Lynde, as you are no doubt aware, the storm hit in the afternoon. Anne had gone to the shore and was caught out when it blew in, I was at the Wrights. As you know, for either of us to reach our homes, we would have passed by the schoolhouse." He said logically. "And given that Prince Edward Island has lost more than thirty people in storms over the last twelve months, you can appreciate the lengths we went to, to remain safe from this one."

"I never heard that statistic." she said suspiciously.

"My current job is with the paper, Mrs Lynde, and I had to file an article on the Maritimes a month ago." He said gravely, watching her open and close her mouth in disbelief. Wondering how far he could push his luck, he continued. "One of the casualties was a young woman from Cavendish, she was just about Anne's age." He said with a mournful sigh, looking off into the distance. "A terrible tragedy. Mrs Lynde, did you know that tree branches are the biggest danger in a category three storm?" Her mouth hung open, and Gilbert continued to talk in a serious tone. "And you know, the schoolhouse lost two of its surrounding trees the other night. Anne is fortunate to have made her way through the forest safely, that afternoon." He said solemnly.

"Well, I suppose it _is_ lucky she was safe." Rachel said reluctantly. "She does tend to get lost in her fantasies, no denying that. But that still doesn't explain how Anne was seeing a man from Kingsport, and she came home the next morning together with _you_ , Mr Blythe. One might wonder if you took advantage of her precarious situation." She said, fixing her eye on Gilbert.

Marilla caught Rachel's last sentence as she came to the door, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Rachel, you aren't still on this, are you?" she said, not at all amused.

"It's all very well for you to take his side Marilla, but you know it doesn't look right for her to be so fickle." she said in a clipped tone.

Marilla's eyes narrowed. "Do I need to remind you of Milton Burwood, Rachel?"

Mrs Lynde gasped indignantly, and stood up. "Well, _really_ Marilla." She flounced inside with her knitting, leaving a laughing Gilbert behind.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Ancient history, Gilbert." She said, with a quirked eyebrow. "Remember, it doesn't pay forget which people you grew up with."

It was at this moment that Anne came out of the old doors, her face lighting up as soon as she saw Gilbert. She turned to her adoptive mother then.

"Mrs Lynde was a little short with me!" She said to Marilla in surprise. "I think something must have upset her."

"She was just looking for some answers from the other night." Marilla said drolly. She smiled and waved goodbye to the young couple, and went back inside.

Gilbert had lost track of the conversation the moment he saw her. She wore a pretty skirt he had seen before, but he found himself staring at the prettier blouse, her slender arms coming gracefully down from lace-trimmed elbow length sleeves. His hand reached out to take her hand, while she raised the other to his cheek.

"I'm up here, Gil." She teased in a low voice.

"I know right where you are." He said, grinning. He took her arm in his and escorted her to the buggy. As he carefully placed her in, he leaned in to give her a lingering kiss.

Anne smiled. "What was that for?"

"Oh, nothing. An old promise to myself."

She smiled, however as they began to move the worried look she had worn as she got ready for the evening returned. Gilbert saw it, and chuckled.

"Anne, it's _fine_. Mother has been running around flapping since this morning to get things right for tonight."

"That only means she is worried too!" she said with a moan. She continued to worry out loud for the rest of the trip, and Gilbert soon stopped arguing with her, assuming that only surviving the actual event would convince her.

When they pulled up to the house, Gilbert went around to the side of the buggy, and unceremoniously picked her up to carry her to the veranda.

"Gilbert Blythe, this is _not_ proper! What on earth will your mother think?" Anne hissed indignantly as he placed her down on the steps. He pulled her in close, and gave her the kind of kiss that would have greatly offended the aforementioned matrons, and one that left Anne in a breathless and pink confusion.

"I wouldn't worry dearest. She _knows_ I'm not proper." Gilbert said with a roguish grin, while she attempted to settle her hair and clothing. "I was making sure you didn't make a run for it; you looked ready to flee."

Gilbert took her hand and opened the front door to his home, and to Anne's embarrassment Cora Blythe was already standing in the hallway to meet them. She looked at Anne clutching Gilbert's hand tightly, and moved to put her arms around the trembling girl. She held her close for a moment, and then pulled away to see Anne's smile.

"It's going to be fine, dear." She said smiling, just for Anne's ears. Anne looked at her in surprise, and then across at her son, who stood there with a loving look for his girl. "Come, Anne; would you like to lay your hat in the guest room? You know where it is."

Cora took Anne by the arm, and steered her through the house, Gilbert following along in their wake. He couldn't keep the smile from his face. To have her back in his home again- oh how he had missed her! He knew that Anne would grow to trust his parents as she once had, she would learn that she was not going to be rejected.

His mind flew to the conversation that had taken place at his kitchen table the previous afternoon. Once he had woken up from a five-hour sleep- incidentally the best sleep he had had in over fourteen months- he had sat down with his parents at the midday meal, and told them about the previous night, and about his change of plans.

Cora was completely shaken by this.

"Anne Shirley? You spent the night with _Anne Shirley_ at the old schoolhouse?" she choked, in horror.

"Yes mother, that's what I said." Gilbert said patiently. "I didn't even know she had taken shelter there, until it was too late to go anywhere else. The rain only began to let up after three this morning, and there was no way I was going to suggest leaving when it wasn't safe."

"Of course not. The woods are dangerous around that area." John Blythe grunted. "I'll never understand why they built the school there in the first place. Did you have enough wood for a fire? No one's been there in a month."

"There was some around the back, and I used some old boards that were lying around."

"It sounds like you made the best of it Gil, no one can fault you for that." His father said, restlessly patting his pockets for his pipe.

"There's a bit more to it than that, dad." Gilbert said, with an uneasy grin. "I guess you heard the rumours about what happened over a year ago between Anne and I - I don't need to go into that." He said awkwardly. "But what you don't know is that last night we had the chance to talk- to actually talk about it all, and- and Mother, dad, she loves me."

Cora and John looked at each other, astonishment on their faces. "But- but the fellow from Kingsport- Almira Sloane assured me that Anne was seeing _him_." Cora said weakly.

"And that was true. But she didn't love him. She loved me all along." He said simply. Cora stood from her position at the table, and began to pace around. He watched her start to speak any number of times, and waited calmly for the inevitable explosion. It came soon.

"Gilbert, I know you have wanted that girl since you were children;" Cora said, her voice tight. "But one night cannot _possibly_ convince you that everything is suddenly alright between the two of you. She disappointed you, she disappointed _all_ of us."

" _Mother_ -" he began.

"No, don't you _mother_ me, young man." She said angrily. "I have had watch you suffer while she has been courted by that fellow, and don't think that I don't know how badly it affected you. If she can _refuse_ you once-"

"Dad-" Gilbert said, appealing to John.

"Cora, hear the boy out." His father said impatiently. "Gilbert, I imagine that the subject did come up last night?"

Gilbert sighed. "It did. Believe me, we talked about everything." He said slowly. "But the most important thing that came out of last night is that Anne and I understand each other now. I know why she refused me, and we have both suffered this year." He fixed his eye on his mother. "And I mean _both_ of us."

Cora looked at him sceptically, and this time he addressed his mother alone. "Mama, you don't understand what she's been through. I don't mean now; I mean before she came here. She saw things that no child should ever see. And the fact that she is as sweet and as wonderful as she is, is some kind of miracle. But it doesn't mean she is undamaged. She never saw love, never saw a man and a woman interact without hurting each other. She was terrified. You _know_ how close we were, but just because _I_ was thinking about it didn't mean she was in that place yet. I made it worse, I pushed her when she wasn't ready. And I paid dearly for that."

Cora was silent for a time. "Do you know exactly what happened to her?" she asked after a moment.

Gilbert sighed. "I know some things. Marilla is the only other person who does."

Her face was stricken. "We all wondered when she was first taken in, but no one dared to ask Marilla. Folks were worried that she might have acquired terrible habits from the orphanage."

Gilbert's jaw clenched. "Well, she didn't."

"Is she alright, Gilbert?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. But it didn't mean she knew how to handle something as complicated as love." He said. "Personally, I'm going to make sure she never feels unloved or unwanted again."

His mother looked at her son, quietly impressed by the maturity she saw in him. His eyes met hers the way they had since he was a young child- bright and hazel, full of confidence and candour. She saw the tenderness in them and felt herself weakening.

"What do you need us to do?" Cora asked finally.

"Just love her, mama. She's the only woman for me." Gilbert said frankly. Cora fixed him with a searching look, and eventually nodded.

Now she was talking with his father and mother over the table, and it was all like it had been- and yet how wonderfully unlike those days, where he had to hide his heart from her. Looking at him, blushing when he smiled at her. She was describing animatedly the way the clouds had formed on the shore, how she had missed the signs of the storm approaching while she was playing on the beach. His parents chuckled, well remembering a younger Anne with the same bright hair, and her ability to become distracted by her surroundings.

Later that evening, Anne and Gilbert were sitting comfortably in the parlour while his parents took care of some chores around the house. Anne's hand was in his, and he closed his eyes as he lay his head on the back of the sofa.

"Hey now," she said softly, teasing. "Are you not supposed to be keeping me company? You can't go to sleep on me now."

"I've got _you_. I can relax for the first time in _years_ …." He said with a loud sigh, making Anne giggle. They talked some more, however Anne was not surprised to look across after a short time and see he had fallen asleep. She had been building her castles in the air, and had not noticed the silence. She reached across with the hand not held in his, and tenderly brushed the curly brown hair off his forehead. Anne smiled at his sleeping face indulgently. She had managed to have a small nap that afternoon, however obviously their night in the schoolhouse had taken a toll on the two of them physically.

Anne looked up to see Mrs Blythe standing in the doorway, a slight smile on her face. Anne flushed, knowing she had been caught watching her son resting. Cora's eyes twinkled at the girl.

"I feel like another cup of tea, Anne. Would you like one as well?"

Anne smiled back at her, and nodded, pulling her hand away from Gilbert gently. He gave a contented sigh and curled up on the arm of the lounge, while Anne stood up to follow his mother, her face a deep blushing pink.

The two of them sat at the kitchen table, and after some general chit chat, Cora placed her hand briefly on Anne's.

"I was wondering if you would do me favour, dear. Gilbert has told me his side of the story, however, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to hear yours."

Anne turned pale, however she could see that Cora was watching patiently, her hands now in her lap. Anne gave her a small smile.

"Alright. It may be a little convoluted, I'm still working some of this out." She said tentatively. "This is all quite new to me." She hesitated, not quite knowing how to begin. "Mrs Blythe, you know that Gilbert proposed last April." She said softly. "And that I said no."

Cora nodded slowly. "We only found out a few months ago, but yes."

"Do you remember when Gilbert and I were teaching?" Anne asked her.

"Of course, dear. You were over here constantly, or he was at Green Gables." she said with a chuckle.

"Did you wonder what kind of relationship we had?" Anne asked, surprising Gilbert's mother.

Cora's eyes widened. "Well, I- I thought Gilbert was only waiting until you were a little older to begin courting you."

Anne smiled and sighed. "You weren't exactly alone in that. I found that most of Avonlea thought the same." She was silent for a minute. "I- I found that exceptionally hard to deal with. Gil was my best friend. At the time, that was enough for me. And I wasn't ready to consider that changing."

Cora studied her face. "Did you know that you cared for him back then?"

Anne gave a tight little smile. "No. That appears to be something I kept quite hidden from myself. And so I refused his proposal, assuming that was the only thing I could do, and I lost him completely." She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. "I- I think I loved him from the day we became friends. But what I felt didn't fit with my idea of romance, so I became adept at ignoring it."

Cora nodded, and posed the question that most troubled by her. "May I ask about the other gentleman?" she asked hesitantly, and immediately regretted it when Anne closed her eyes in pain. "Anne, I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset you, it's only-" she stopped awkwardly.

"No, I understand why you are asking." She said, stricken. "I suppose- well, Roy started at college after- he came back to college last September." She said carefully. "He was romantic and sweet, and he was the kind of person Diana and I had thought we would marry one day. And I should have been happy." She paused, remembering how hard she had tried to be so.

"But you weren't?"

Anne smiled sadly. "No. I wasn't. I missed Gilbert- I missed what we had, how close we were. I missed my best friend. And I thought he was moving on. That never stopped hurting." She said with a sigh.

Cora watched her for a minute. She couldn't doubt her sincerity, and found herself relaxing inside. Whatever had passed between the young pair, there could be no doubt that a different law, one far more tender was in operation now. She gave Anne's hand a squeeze.

"We don't need to talk about it anymore. If you love him as he loves you, then that is enough for me." She said warmly, and Anne smiled.

"I do. It's a little frightening how much I do." she said quietly.

Cora's eyes then twinkled, and in her expression Anne suddenly saw Gilbert's merry one.

"If you don't mind me saying dear, I am assuming it was quite the discussion that took place." She said drolly, and couldn't help laughing when Anne covered her face in embarrassment.

"Oh yes, a _discussion_." she said with a groan. "I'm surprised no one came running to the schoolhouse to see who was being murdered."

"Well, it _was_ during a hurricane dear." She said, amused. "Anne, you will learn that it's best to get these things out into the open; keeping them inside only causes people more pain. And a little arguing never hurt anyone." She raised one eyebrow at her prospective daughter in law. "Was it worse than the _Keats_ discussion?"

"It was worse than the _carrots_ discussion, Mrs Blythe." Anne said, with a chuckle. " _Why_ your son didn't simply leave me to my fate and take his chance with the hurricane, I'll never know."

Cora looked at the girl, and smiled. "Because he loves you. You know that now. And it's because of you that he isn't going to England." She sat back in her chair and sighed. "I have a feeling that if he had gone, he wouldn't have come back." She said quietly.

There was silence between the women for a moment. "I thought that too." Anne whispered.

Cora stood up, taking the tea cups from the table, and looked at the girl in front of her. "Thank you for bringing my son back. Only you could do that, Anne." Gilbert's mother said gently, and then a mischievous look came to her face.

"You know dear; I always _did_ picture myself with red-headed grandchildren."


End file.
